India, China ink 13 pacts
New Delhi, November 21
India and China today signed as many as 13 bilateral agreements in the presence of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the summit-level talks at the Hyderabad House here.

10-point strategy to boost ties
New Delhi, November 21
India and China today unveiled a “10-point strategy” to reinforce their strategic and cooperative partnership, and significantly, one of these includes cooperation in civilian nuclear energy.

Govt to extend social security cover
New Delhi, November 21
The government is planning a comprehensive legislation to extend social security cover to all workers. This was stated by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes while inaugurating the 14th Regional Conference of International Social Security Association
for Asia and Pacific Region here today.

Mahila Congress activists raise slogans in favour of 33 per cent reservation for women during a rally organised by the All-India Women's Congress at Parliament Street in New Delhi on
Tuesday. — Tribune photo by Rajeev Tyagi

BJP to counter Chinese claim on Arunachal
New Delhi, November 21
The BJP said today that it would raise the Chinese claim on Arunachal Pradesh on the first day of the winter session of Parliament on Thursday during which the UPA government’s disappointing handling of the issue would also figure.

Cong suffers byelection setback in Andhra
Cash, cricket kits to woo voters seizedHyderabad, November 21
The Congress has suffered a loss of face in the impending byelections to Karimnagar Parliamentary seat, following seizure of a truck carrying cricket kits and Rs 5 lakh cash allegedly for wooing the young voters.

Women’s Bill not on agendaNew Delhi, November 21Despite assurances from the Prime Minister himself, the long-pending women’s reservation Bill has failed to find a place in the list of legislative business slated to be taken up in the Winter Session of Parliament commencing tomorrow.

NDA partners divided over creamy layerNew Delhi, November 21The Bharatiya Janata Party today admitted that the NDA constituents had different view on keeping out the creamy layer from the benefits of reservation for backward classes and said the party would make its stand clear as and when the government came out with its proposals.

Lalu’s Pawan enters JD(U) family as Rudal
Patna, November 21
Like his confidant-turned-critic Shivanand Tiwari who had joined the JD(U) on Saturday, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad`s prized possession, the four-year-old horse Pawan, too, found a new home in the JD(U) camp.

Bihar CM stands up for Chunchun
Patna, November 21
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought a report on the plight of 10-year old girl Chunchun Kumari who works at a roadside dhaba in Patna.
The girl featured in the poster of the UNICEF campaign against child labour in the state.

Vajpayee boosts party cadres’ morale
New Delhi, November 21
Expressing satisfaction over the victory of the BJP candidates in the recent byelections to various Lok Sabha seats and Assembly constituencies, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has asked party cadres to replicate the performance in the coming elections to four state Assemblies.

Delhi airport gears up to tackle fog
New Delhi, November 21
The onset of winter and with it the setting in of the fog around the city, specially the airport area, has forced the Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL) to take several measures to prevent discomfort to passengers during delays and to provide information in advance.

Custody: Mother has greater right over child
New Delhi, November 21
In a judgement of far reaching implications on custodial right of a child after divorce of a Hundu couple, the Supreme Court today ruled that even if the mother marries another man, she still has a better right to have the custody of her minor child than the father and her remarriage will not be an impediment in it.

DGPs, IGPs to meet today
New Delhi, November 21
Security of critical infrastructure, counter-terrorism doctrine, FDI and national security and management of international borders and VIP security are some of the issues that will be top on the agenda of a three-day conference of Directors-General of Police and Inspectors-General of Police beginning here tomorrow.

Chandigarh, November 21
The French Mirage 2000 fighters in the Indian Air Force will soon have a whole new range of weapons to carry into battle. As part of the planned fleet upgradation, the Mirages will be modified to operate Russian missiles and bombs.

A file photo of Mirage 2000

DRDO’s 'terahertz’ to counter blasts
Hyderabad, November 21
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has been conducting research in collaboration with scientific academies on developing “terahertz” technology for preventing bomb blasts in trains and flights.

PM must come to rescue of NRI Sikhs
New Delhi, November 21
The Bharatiya Janata Party today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene to ensure protection of religious rights of Sikhs outside India in the wake of a racist attack on a Sikh teenager in Edinburgh.

M.L. Sharma is CBI’s Spl Director
New Delhi, November 21
Mr ML Sharma, holding the post of Additional Director, has been promoted as Special Director in Central Bureau of Investigation.
An IPS officer of 1972 batch of Rajasthan cadre, he has vast experience of CBI stretching over 15 years as SP, DIG, Joint Director and Additional Director.

CBFC sticks to stand on film on Rajiv
Chennai, November 21
Even after 13 years of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the CBFC continues to oppose the release of the film, “Kuttrappathirikkai (charge-sheet). Directed by R.K.
Selavamani, the movie was made in 1993 depicting real-life incidents.

MiG crashesAhmedabad, November 21A MiG-29 of the IAF crashed near the Jamnagar airbase at around 7.15 p.m. An Air Force search party has reached the crash site. “It is quite dark at the site and the fate of the pilot is not known,” SWAC spokesman Wg Cmdr Tarun Kumar Singha said here tonight.
— UNI

New Delhi, November 21
India and China today signed as many as 13 bilateral agreements in the presence of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after the summit-level talks at the Hyderabad House here.

The first three were signed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing. They are:

1. Protocol on the establishment of Consulates-General at Guangzhou and Kolkata. It provides for an Indian Consulate-General in Guangzhou with its consular district covering seven Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Hainan, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The Chinese Consulate-General in Kolkata will have its consular district covering West Bengal, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

2. Protocol on cooperation between the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. This protocol institutionalises the bilateral dialogue and consultation mechanism between the two foreign offices and provides for the establishment of a hotline between the two Foreign Ministers.

3. Agreement on the issue of property of the Consulate-General of India in Shanghai. Under this, China shall provide India with a plot measuring 5,000 sq m free of charge for the construction of the premises of the Consulate-General of India, Shanghai. The plot will be provided to India in lieu of the old Indian consulate property in Shanghai. The signing of the agreement will bring to a close the issue after 40 years.

New Delhi, November 21
India and China today unveiled a “10-point strategy” to reinforce their strategic and cooperative partnership, and significantly, one of these includes cooperation in civilian nuclear energy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed on an elaborate 48-paragraph joint declaration after their 100-minute talk in Hyderabad House. The document ledges a wide-ranging cooperation between the two sides.

On the crucial question of boundary dispute, the two sides agreed that along with the talks between the special representatives, the Joint Working Group on the India-China boundary question would expedite their work, including on the clarification and confirmation of the line of actual control(LAC) and the implementation of confidence building measures.

It was agreed to complete the process of exchanging maps indicating their respective perceptions of the entire alignment of the LAC on the basis of already agreed parameters “as soon as possible”.

On the issue of civilian nuclear cooperation, the two sides maintained that expansion of civilian nuclear energy programme was an essential and important component of their national energy plans to ensure energy security. “The two sides agree to promote cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, consistent with their respective international commitments,” the joint declaration said.

India and China took a common stand on terrorism, noted that the menace could not be justified on any ground and condemned it in all forms and manifestations. The two sides agreed to revitalise and broaden the India-China dialogue mechanism on counter-terrorism and decided to strengthen their efforts, bilaterally as also in the international fora, to fight against terrorism, and significantly, “the linkages between terrorism” and drug trafficking.

India and China agreed to hold regular summit-level meetings, in each other’s country and in multilateral forums. They agreed that high-level exchanges between governments, parliaments and political parties played an important role in expanding overall bilateral cooperation.

The two neighbours concluded the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and announced that the joint task force set up to study the feasibility and benefits of an India-China Regional Trading Arrangement would complete its work by October 2007.

The Indian side reiterated its recognition of the Tibet Autonomous Region as part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China, and that it did not allow Tibetans to engage in anti-China political activities in India.

President Hu extended invitations to President A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit China. The invitations were accepted and the timing of the visits will be decided through diplomatic channels.

New Delhi, November 21
India and China today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of agriculture aimed at protecting the intellectual property rights (IPR) of each country’s scientists.

The MoU was signed between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), People’s Republic of China.

Both, ICAR and CAAS will be equal owners of jointly received IPR resulting from achievements through cooperation. Transfer of achievements from the cooperation will be mutually agreed upon with the permission by other sides in the form of a documentation.

The MoU was signed by the Chinese Ambassador in India, Sun Yuxi and Dr Mangala Rai, DG, ICAR, here today.

Dr Rai said it would be implemented through development of biennial work plans to be developed jointly, which described the activities to be carried out under this cooperative programme and which would set forth the intended contributions of each party.

The pact
will be effective from today .Both countries will cooperate with common objectives to promote and accelerate the progress of research and training in various field of agricultural research such as exchange of scientists, technologists; germplasm, breeding material and programme of common interest as may be mutually agreed upon.

Such cooperation will be implemented by establishment of mutual relation between the scientific and technical divisions of the organisations of the ICAR and CAAS. Both will establish inter-institutional links between their respective similar scientific agricultural research institutes and centres.

New Delhi, November 21
The government is planning a comprehensive legislation to extend social security cover to all workers. This was stated by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes while inaugurating the 14th Regional Conference of International Social Security Association (ISSA) for Asia and Pacific Region here today.

He said, “our focus is on informal sector as today, for every ten jobs, seven jobs are created in the informal sector.”

Referring to the organised sector, Mr Fernandes said Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) provided medical care to 35 million beneficiaries with no upper cap on cost irrespective of the quantum of contribution paid by a member.

He said, “even one day’s insurable employment ensures coverage to the worker and his family.” The minister said the fundamental duty of the civil society was to ensure a universal, non-discriminatory, equitable and reliable health care system.

He said, “the challenge, however, was how to ensure easy accessibility to quality medical care, both in terms of costs and geographical distance.”

The minister said the deliberations of the conference would help in evolving various financial alternatives to ensure long-term sustainability of any health care system.

Mr Fernandes said the management of social security funds to maximise returns was equally challenging. Calling for skillful handling of these funds, the minister said they could be gainfully employed by the state for economic growth.

He said, “it could be a win-win situation for all as the state would get the required financial resources, while social security organisations would get safety of their investments.” The minister further said the Employees provident Fund Organisation provided social security cover to 40 million workers across the country.

Earlier, the ISSA president, Ms Corazon De La Paz, said the investment of pension reserve funds had a direct bearing on financial sustainability of social security programme and potential benefit levels of its members.

On providing social security to migrant workers, she said, the issue was of great concern to various countries, including India and the Philippines, to which she belonged. She said 20 million workers from India and 10 million workers from Philippines were working away from their countries.

The Special Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr J.P. Singh, said scarce resources and ever increasing demand was worrying us. He expressed hope that the conference would help member countries in evolving options for optimal use of scarce resources while improving efficiency of delivery systems.

New Delhi, November 21
The BJP said today that it would raise the Chinese claim on Arunachal Pradesh on the first day of the winter session of Parliament on Thursday during which the UPA government’s disappointing handling of the issue would also figure.

Briefing newspersons about the specially convened meeting of the BJP parliamentary party chaired by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and attended by Leaders of Opposition of the two Houses L.K. Advani and Jaswant Singh, BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said a decision to raise the issue was taken at the meeting. They expressed disappointment over the way the government had chosen to down play the statement of Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi, claiming Arunachal Pradesh was Chinese territory.

The government should have conveyed its displeasure over the conduct of the Chinese diplomat, Mr Malhotra said.

The matter will be raised on November 23 as on the opening day tomorrow there will be virtually no sitting of Parliament in view of the BJP's plans to organise protests against the UPA government, the spokesman said.

The party has planned two meetings, one to be addressed by Mr Advani at Rajghat and the other to be addressed by BJP president Rajnath Singh at Birla Mandir.

Hyderabad, November 21
The Congress has suffered a loss of face in the impending byelections to Karimnagar Parliamentary seat, following seizure of a truck carrying cricket kits and Rs 5 lakh cash allegedly for wooing the young voters.

The Karimangar byelections is being keenly contested by four major parties, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the Congress, the TDP and the BJP. The election was necessitated by the resignation of TRS chief K .Chandrasekhar Rao following his differences with the Congress.

The TRS activists intercepted a vehicle late on Monday night carrying 500 cricket kits in Karimnagar town. On interrogation, it was found that the truck was sent from Gandhi Bhavan, the Congress Headquarters in Hyderabad. A person travelling in the vehicle admitted that he was the driver of Mr Sudhakar Rao, Member, State Information Commission.

The TRS activists, who seized Rs 5 lakh from the driver and torched some of the kits, alleged that a second vehicle carrying the same number of kits had already reached the Congress camp in the town.

Interestingly, the driver was also carrying a receipt in the name of Gandhi Bhavan from a sports shop Sachdeva Sports Company in Hyderabad.

The incident occurred at the time when the Congress, especially Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is desperately trying to ensure defeat to the TRS leader, as it could effectively blunt the demand for a separate Telangana state, the plank on which Rao had pledged to come back.

The opposition parties, including the TDP and the BJP, have demanded the dismissal of the State Information Commissioner Sudhakar Rao and asked for investigation by the Election Commission into the incident.

The police later registered a case under Section 171-A against the driver, his companion and Sudhakar Rao.

New Delhi, November 21
The winter session of Parliament beginning tomorrow will adjourn shortly after paying homage to Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram and
industrialist Lalit Suri.

The decision to adjourn the Lower House to pay respect to the BSP leader was taken at an all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

"Except one party the CPI all other party leaders have unanimously decided that the Lok Sabha should be adjourned as a mark of respect to the BSP leader", Mr Chaterjee told reporters after an hour-long meeting.

When reminded that he had been opposed to such adjournment of the House, if a member did not belong to it, Mr Chatterjee remarked, "I am trying to become democratic.”

Kanshi Ram died last month after a prolonged illness. The Rajya Sabha is scheduled to adjourn shortly after the meeting on the opening day of the winter session in view of the death of Lalit Suri, a memeber, during the intermission period.

Mr Chatterjee expressed hope that month-long session would be a smooth affair. "Hope is essential," he told reporters when asked how hopeful he was that the coming session would be a smooth affair in view of his past experiences.

Several issues, including internal security, sealing, Special Economic Zones, agrarian problems, creamy layer in reservation, the Sachar Committee report on status of Muslims, price rise, women's reservation and situation of sports in the country were likely to be taken up for detailed discussion during the month-long session of Parliament.

The Speaker said the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) was meeting tomorrow to decide on the issues to be taken up for discussion as suggested by leaders of political parties during the meeting.

Asked whether the women's reservation Bill would come up during the session, Mr Chatterjee said, "the government has so far not informed us in this regard".

New Delhi, November 21
Despite assurances from the Prime Minister himself, the long-pending women’s reservation Bill has failed to find a place in the list of legislative business slated to be taken up in the Winter Session of Parliament commencing tomorrow.

With CPM Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat pushing for it, the government had agreed to introduce the Bill in this session at the last UPA-Left parties coordination committee meeting where it was also decided that the Bill would be referred to the parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.

The introduction of the Bill has, however, been held up as UPA allies like the RJD and the DMK still have strong
reservations to the Bill.

"The measure has not been listed among the Bills to be introduced as further consultations were needed at the Home Ministry and Law Ministry-level as well as with political parties," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi told reporters here today. Discussions are still on, he said, adding that as and when a consensus was reached, it would be placed on the agenda.

He said a meeting of the UPA-Left coordination committee had been scheduled tomorrow to take stock of the Bills coming up before Parliament and also discuss the various issues which are expected to dominate the session and floor coordination.

It is not the women’s reservations Bill alone which has run into trouble with the UPA partners but the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill is also unlikely to be taken up in this session as the Left parties have opposed the government move to go in for pension fund reforms.

Similarly, the Bill providing 27 per cent quotas for OBC students in Centrally-funded higher education institutions does not figure in the Winter Session’s agenda. The Bill, currently being studied by the parliamentary standing committee on Human Resource Development Ministry, is scheduled to submit its report in this session but its passage appears uncertain. The government is committed to roll out quotas for OBC students from the 2007 academic session.

Mr Dasmunshi today said that as many as 17 Bills would be introduced in the session and discussion taken up on another 16, adding that the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, the Factories Bill and the Tribal Rights Bill could be be passed.

With the Opposition all set to put the government on the mat on numerous issues, ranging from internal security, Afzal Guru’s celemncy plea, price rise, sealing operations in Delhi and the Sachar comittee report, the UPA’s parliamentary managers clearly have their hands full.

Both Houses will be adjourned on the first day after obituary references for members who had died during the inter-session period. While the Rajya Sabha will mourn its sitting member Lalit Suri, the Lok Sabha will adjourn as a mark of respect to Bahujan Samaj Party founder and former Lok Sabha member Kanshi Ram.

New Delhi, November 21
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today admitted that the NDA constituents had different view on keeping out the creamy layer from the benefits of reservation for backward classes and said the party would make its stand clear as and when the government came out with its proposals.

Briefing mediapersons after the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, spokesman V.K. Malhotra said his party was opposed to religion-based reservation as it was against the spirit of the Constitution.

The party would discuss the issue with other NDA partners for arriving at a consensus if it was not possible for the parties to air their views.

The Janata Dal (United) has expressed itself for including converted Dalit Muslims and Christians in the list eligible for reservation while the present law allows it for only those who opt to switch over to indigenous religious groups like Buddhism and Sikhism.

Patna, November 21
Like his confidant-turned-critic Shivanand Tiwari who had joined the JD(U) on Saturday, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad`s prized possession, the four-year-old horse Pawan, too, found a new home in the JD(U) camp.

The horse was on display for sale at the Asia’s biggest cattle fair at Sonepur for the past three days against a price tag of Rs 1.51 lakh.

The horse which was earlier bought by a farmer for Rs 1.01 lakh, was resold to the "bahubali" JD(U) MLA from Mokama, Anant Singh, by the same
farmer, Baleswar Rai, at a price of Rs 1.11 lakh on Sunday.

The controversial JD(U) MLA confirmed that he had purchased Mr Lalu’s horse from the first buyer. An unperturbed Mr Lalu Prasad, unfazed either over the desertion by Mr Shivanand Tiwari or the change of the owner of his horse, Pawan,
said: "Whereever the horse goes it will be known as Lalu's horse only."

However, the first thing the new owner of Pawan did was to change its name to Rudal.

Patna, November 21
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has sought a report on the plight of 10-year old girl Chunchun Kumari who works at a roadside dhaba in Patna.

The girl featured in the poster of the UNICEF campaign against child labour in the state.

The Tribune carried the story of the socially deprived girl whose fate remained unchanged despite being used as a mascot for UNICEF campaign.

Incidentally, weeks have gone by since the campaign was launched, but she was still awaiting rehabilitation and government help.

Chunchun continued to clean utensils at her father's roadside dhaba, situated close to the state headquarters of Bihar's ruling JD(U).

Mr Nitish Kumar was reportedly more disturbed over the fact that despite using her photograph for the campaign, the UNICEF did not take any step to rehabilitate the child.

The Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary R.C.P. Singh said Mr Nitish Kumar sought the report from the home commissioner on UNICEF asking it to clarify the failure of the authorities to rehabilitate the child under the law banning child labour even after using her photograph in the poster.

The UNCEF reportedly took the photograph of the girl a month ago.

Before leaving for Delhi today, the Chief Minister directed the authorities concerned to initiate efforts for the proper rehabilitation of the girl.

New Delhi, November 21
Expressing satisfaction over the victory of the BJP candidates in the recent byelections to various Lok Sabha seats and Assembly constituencies, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has asked party cadres to replicate the performance in the coming elections to four state Assemblies.

Addressing a specially convened Parliamentary party meeting on the eve of the commencement of Winter Session of Parliament, the senior BJP leader hailed the party's victories in various Lok Sabha seats, including the Vidisha and Bada Malhera Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh.

In Bihar, the Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat has been retained by the party with former Union Minister Shahnawaz Hussain winning on it.

New Delhi, November 21
The onset of winter and with it the setting in of the fog around the city, specially the airport area, has forced the Delhi International Airport Private Limited (DIAL) to take several measures to prevent discomfort to passengers during delays and to provide information in advance.

While airlines, both private and public sector, are taking various measures on their front, as part of the preparation, DIAL has had a series of meetings with various stakeholders. These include the airlines, ATC, CISF, BCAS, Met Department, Customs, Immigration Department, Delhi Police and catering firms in a bid to assess the preparedness for the fog season.

Addressing mediapersons on the various steps which have been taken, DIAL's Chief Operating Officer Ioannis Papastefanou said here that as a result of the discussions several steps were being taken inside and outside the terminals and also on the airside to minimise the impact of fog on flight operations and inconvenience to passengers.

A major step being taken this year included the setting up of an centralised emergency response and interactive centre (ERIC), which will coordinate operations during the fog season. The centre would be in direct touch with the ATC, apron control and various airlines and would be fed with real time information, which would be useful for operations during fog.

The Meteorological Department would also be providing latest fog updates to the centre. In addition, a crisis management centre (CMC) would also be set up to coordinate the efforts and manage any unforeseen events.

As part of passenger facilities, DIAL would put up pre-fabricated tents to accommodate the overflow of passengers, said Mr Papastefanou. The tents would be equipped with oil heaters and arrangements would be made to serve tea, coffee, etc to passengers there.

Flight information would be also available from additional airline information counters which would be set up at the kerbside.

Airlines helpline numbers would provide up-to-date information to passengers. A free parking lot was being set up near the airport to cater to the extra rush of passengers, he added.

A courtesy coach would connect this parking lot with the terminals. Seating in the terminals was being augmented and extra trolleys were being arranged.

The Delhi airport has been equipped with category III instrument landing system (ILS). The system allows compatible aircraft and trained pilots to land even when the runway visibility is up to 50 metres.

New Delhi, November 21
In a judgement of far reaching implications on custodial right of a child after divorce of a Hundu couple, the Supreme Court today ruled that even if the mother marries another man, she still has a better right to have the custody of her minor child than the father and her remarriage will not be an impediment in it.

“We are of the opinion that the remarriage of the mother cannot be taken as a ground for not granting the custody of the child to her. The paramount consideration should be given to the welfare of the child,” a Bench of Mr Justice A R Lakshmanan and Mr Justice Altamas Kabir ruled, while relying heavily on decided cases abroad, mainly in UK to lay down the law for the family courts to follow in the country.

The court said that the father could not take the remarriage of his ex-wife as the ground for taking the custody of the child though it recognised that under the Hindu Law, the natural guardian of a minor child was the father.

The Bench said while applying the principle of guardianship, the courts have to take the good care and welfare of the child as the main consideration. “But the fact that the mother has married again after the divorce from her first husband is no ground for depriving her of her parental right of custody.”

If it was established that the mother was a normal and independent person and showed no “imbalance of mind”, then the custody of a minor child should not be refused to her, or else “we would be really assenting to the proposition that a second marriage… per se will operate adversely to her claim for the custody of her minor child,” the court ruled.

The judgement came on an appeal of Lekha whom P Anil Kumar, a businessman from Kerala had divorced after differences arose between them soon after their marriage in January 1994. They had started living separately after two-and-half-months of their marriage as Lekha had accused her husband of cruel treatment.

New Delhi, November 21
Security of critical infrastructure, counter-terrorism doctrine, FDI and national security and management of international borders and VIP security are some of the issues that will be top on the agenda of a three-day conference of Directors-General of Police and Inspectors-General of Police beginning here tomorrow.

The conference, to be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, will also look critically into Left Wing extremism, security environment in the North-East, organised crime, police-media relations and also disaster management.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the conference on Thursday.

The main objective of the conference is to provide a forum to the police leadership in the country to discuss various problems being faced by the police in their day-to-day functioning and work out solutions to such problems through exchange of ideas and sharing of experience, making the police more effective, efficient and people-friendly.

Efforts are also made through this forum to devise ways and means for galvanizing the police forces to meet the ever-increasing challenges of terrorism, insurgency, extremism, espionage and other serious problems of law and order. Sharing of ideas and caring for each other’s problems help generate greater bonding and camaraderie among the various police forces in the country.

The first-ever conference of IGPs in India was organised by the Intelligence Bureau in 1920. Since then, such conferences are being held regularly at New Delhi. Since 1973, it has become an annual event for the heads of police organisations in the states/UTs besides central police organisation chiefs. The Director, Intelligence Bureau, continues to remain the ex-officio Chairman of the conference.

Chandigarh, November 21
The French Mirage 2000 fighters in the Indian Air Force will soon have a whole new range of weapons to carry into battle. As part of the planned fleet upgradation, the Mirages will be modified to operate Russian missiles and bombs.

The Indian Air Force will start upgrading its Mirage 2000 fleet from 2008. Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) K.P. Puri told The Tribune during a recent visit here that the upgrade project would be undertaken locally by HAL in collaboration with French firms.

One of the major facets of the upgrade programme is to integrate Russian weapon systems with the Mirage 2000. This may require certain modifications to the aircraft’s weapon mounting pylons as well as the holding points on the ordnance. The command and control computer software as well as the triggering mechanisms would also have to be suitably customised

At present the Mirage are armed with the short-range Magic and the 40-km range Matra 530-D missiles, besides guided and free-fall bombs. There are a large number of Russian origin air-to-air missiles, with some types having a range in excess of 100 km, as well as precision ground attack munitions and anti-ship missiles in the IAF’s inventory, the use of which would enhance the combat potential of the Mirage 2000 fleet.

Cross-integration of weapon systems, Mr Puri said, was not a difficult preposition and it had been done before. For example, the Anglo-French Matra Magic heat seeking missile was modified to be used on IAF MiG 21s.

Inducted in the mid-80s, the Mirage 2000s equip two IAF squadrons, No.1 “Tigers” and No.7 “Battle Axe”. Both squadrons had carried out precision strikes at high altitudes during the 1999 Kargil conflict. Special innovations were carried by IAF engineers for the missions.

The upgrade also involves re-designing the Mirage’s cockpit by replacing conventional instruments and gauges with multi-functional display panels. New avionics, augmentation of its radar’s seek and track capability and a new mission computer would also be included in the upgrade package.

The Mirage 2000s have also been recently modified to incorporate aerial refuelling capability. Earlier, these aircraft used to be sent to France for periodic overhaul, but since 1998, this is being done by HAL at its Bangalore and Kanpur units. Some sparse are also being manufactured there.

Meanwhile, HAL is scheduled to commence the MiG-29 upgrade programme in June next year. This project involves installation of a new version of its RD-33 engine, increasing the aircraft’s fuel carrying capacity, new radar and avionics and air-to-air refuelling capability.

Hyderabad, November 21
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been conducting research in collaboration with scientific academies on developing “terahertz” technology for preventing bomb blasts in trains and flights.

Speaking to mediapersons here, DRDO Chief Controller of Research and Development Prahlada said the DRDO, Hyderabad Central University and IIT, Kharagpur, had jointly launched the initiative.

The DRDO has provided Rs 20 crore to the university for developing the technology, which was now in its initial stage, Mr Prahlada said.

“Terahertz” would become a reality in the next five to 10 years and the demonstration stage would be reached in the next few years, he said.

New Delhi, November 21
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene to ensure protection of religious rights of Sikhs outside India in the wake of a racist attack on a Sikh teenager in Edinburgh.

Senior BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia also referred to New Delhi's failure to persuade Paris to exempt Sikhs drop the law banning conspicuous religious articles such as turbans at French schools.

"The Prime Minister himself is a devout Sikh. He should use diplomacy so that members of the community are able to enjoy their religious rights outside the country. He should also intervene to ensure that justice is delivered to the Sikh teenager assaulted in Scotland last week", Mr Ahluwalia said after the Parliamentary party meeting.

Last week a group of white youths attacked a Sikh teenager and clipped his hair in a public park in Edinburgh.

Chennai, November 21
Even after 13 years of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the CBFC continues to oppose the release of the film, “Kuttrappathirikkai (charge-sheet). Directed by R.K. Selavamani, the movie was made in 1993 depicting real-life incidents.

The CBFC has filed a writ petition following the order of a single judge of the Madras High Court ordering the release of the film. However, the Bench of the high court comprising Justices A.P. Shah and K. Chandru will watch it during a special screening before issuing orders.
— TNS

Poacher surrenders
Jaipur: In a dramatic event, notorious poacher, Jugraj Mogya, belonging to the dreaded Kesara gang engaged in the poaching and smuggling of tiger parts, surrendered to the
police. Jugraj surrendered at the farm house of former Director-General of police Shantanu Kumar on Monday. He was handed over to the Jotwara police and later arrested by the special Operation Group.He was operating from Uliyan village near Ranthambore National Park.
— UNI

Tunnel discovered
Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is studying a underground beneath tunnel in a temple of Lord Muruga at Vallakottai in Kancheepuram district. Mr G. Thirumurthy, a research analyst of ASI said, the ancient temple was closed 1,200 years ago. The discovery of the tunnel was revealed to ASI by the temple administrative officer V. Sundaramurthy, he added.
— UNI

Boy gets kids peace prize
Jaipur: Fourteen-year-old Om Prakash Gurjar, who hails from Dwarapur village of this district, has been awarded the international Children's Peace Prize for leading a campaign against child labour and
slavery. The peace prize, into its second year, is being given by Netherlands-based group Kids Rights. Om was awarded the prize by former South African president F.W. de Klerk in The Hague on Sunday evening.
— UNI